Wire fence stretching clamp



Sept. 1, 1964 R. A. KELsEY 3146993 WRE FENCE STRETCHING CLAMP Filed March 26, 1962 United States Patent O 3,146,993 WIRE FENCE STRETCHING CLAMP Roy A. Kelsey, Kirkland, Ill. Filed Mar. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 182,478 Claims. (Cl. 254-83) This invention relates to a new and improved wire fence stretching clamp.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a clamp largely of angle iron construction, the two angle iron frame members of which are arranged to interfit to clamp the Wire fence material therebetween with just enough of a crimp formed in the same to enable doing a good stretching job without danger of any breakage of wire or even damage to the Wire along the parallel lines where the crimping and clamping occurs, the two angle iron frame members having detachably interfitting parts on one side for interconnection there and aligned projecting loops on the other side adapted to receive one end of links for interconnection of the frame members there, and also providing a means of connection with a drawchain connected with a tractor or truck to apply the pull in stretching the fence. The construction is such that difference in thicknesses of Wire fencing is automatically compensated for, and yet there is no danger of slippage on the one hand by reason of the clamp not taking a good hold, nor is there any likelihood of breakage of the Wire due to too severe clamping action being concentrated too much at any one given point, the present clamp being designed so as to distribute the stretching pull fairly evenly the full width of the material.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the clamp in operation, and FIG. 2 is a horizontal section on a larger scale taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. l.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts in these two views.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 3 designates the clamp of my invention generally, and 4 designates a width of Wire fence material commonly referred to as storm fence, the top and bottom wires 5 and 6 of which are usually of heavier Wire than the intermediate longitudinal wires 7 and Vertical wires 8. The clamp 3 comprises two angle iron frame members 9 and 10 of the same size and length and long enough to span the width of fence material to be stretched and arranged to be placed in nested or interfitting relationship, as shown, so as to form a generally L-shaped crimp in the fence material, as indicated at 11 in FIG. 2, when the material is clamped therebetween in accordance with my inventionv Two generally U-shaped loops of heavy Wire or rod material have the ends of the legs thereof welded at 12 and 13 to the inner side of the flanges of the inner angle iron frame member 10 and provide a relatively short loop or eye 14 on the one side and a relatively long loop or eye 15 on the other side, one such pair being provided spaced downwardly from the upper end, and another such pair being provided spaced upwardly from the lower end, as clearly appears in FIG. 1. The outer angle iron frame member 9 has welded thereto at 16 and 17 on the outer side of the two flanges thereof one end of a horizontal rod 18 and the ends of the legs of a short U-shaped loop or eye 19, respectively. Rod 18, which is bent, as indicated at 20, into an acute angle relationship to its welded end portion, as best appears in FIG. 2, extends through the eye 14 associated therewith so as to interconnect the angle iron frame members 9 and 10 on that side at both ends. Two such parts 18 and 19 are provided at both ends at the same levels as the eyes 14 and 15, as clearly shown in FIG. l, to permit interlocking of the angle iron frame members 9 and 10 in a similar manner at both ends.

Two links 21 made of rod material complete the clamp assembly, one being associated with each pair of eyes 15 and 19, as shown in FIG. 1. Each of these links is substantally V-shaped, being bent intermediate its ends, as shown at 22, where it extends through the outer end of the long eye 15, and a hook 23 is formed by bending the inner extremity, this hooked end being entered in the short eye 19 to interlock the angle iron frame members 9 and 10 on this side and at the same time provide a pull connection for the drawchain 24 with the clamp 3 to apply the pull of a tractor or truck to the Wire fence 4 for stretching purposes. The drawchain 24 is engaged over hooks 25 formed on the outer ends of the links 21 by bending the same to substantially U-form, the chain 24 extending from the drawbar on a tractor or from a tow hook on a truck in the form of a triangle, the base portion 26 of which extends substantially vertically between the two hooks 25.

In operation, the clamp 3 is applied usually by laying the angle iron frame member 9 on the ground first and then laying the fence material 4 over it, after which the eyes 14 on the other angle iron frame member 10 are slipped over the ends of the rods 18, and then the hooks 23 on the inner ends of the links 21 are entered in the eyes 19 after the links have been extended through the eyes 15. Foot pressure can be applied to the angle iron frame member 10 to form the crimp indicated at 11 in the wire fence material 4, or the operator can press downwardly on the rod 18 with one hand or foot while pressing downwardly on the link 21 With the other hand or foot, first at one end of the clamp and then at the other end, after which the clamp assembly can be stood on end and the stretching operation can be performed using the chain 24 attached to the hooked ends 25 of the links 21. The line of pull indicated at a-b in FIG. 2 is coincident With the plane of the fence 4 being stretched and parallel to the chain attached to the outer end portion 27 of the links 21, and, due partly to the fact that the edge 28 on the inner side of the flange of the angle iron frame member 9 is rounded, as clearly appears in PIG. 2, and partly to the fact that the pull on the fence material 4 is distributed the full width thereof along the rounded edge 28, there is no danger of breakage, the right angle crimp 11 formed in the fence material clamped between the two angle iron frame members 9 and 10 positively preventing slippage regardless of how heavy a pull is applied, and the greater the pull, the tighter the fence material is clamped. The inwardly diverging relationship of the inner end portions 29 of links 21 With respect to the rods 18 has a two-fold advantage:

(1) As pull is applied to links 21 along the line a-b the eyes 14 and 15 are forced inwardly partly by reason of the acute angle relationship of rods 18 relative to the back of angle iron frame member 9 and partly by reason of the pivoting action of hooks 23 in the eyes 19 as each interfitting hook 23 and eye 19 tend to move inwardly toward the line of pull a--b, thereby clamping the fence material 4 all the more tightly in the crimped portion 11, and

(2) Dilference in thickness of fence material is automatically compensated for With this clamp construction, because in the event of thicker fence material being crimped between the angle iron frame members 9 and 10, the eyes 14 merely assume a position on rods 18 a trifie farther away from the angle iron frame member 9, but otherwise the operation just described above is the same.

I have found that crimping of the fence material in the manner illustrated at 11 in FIG. 2 is not at all harmful. The crimped portion straightens out nicely when the next section of fence that includes this portion is subjected to a similar stretching operation.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a Wire fence stretching clamp, an outer substantially Vertical elongated angle member having flanges disposed in right angle relationship, an inner substantially Vertical elongated angle member of approximately the same length in nesting registering relationship to the outer angle member and having flanges disposed in right angle relationship, two substantially horizontal U-shaped rods secured to the inner side of one fiange of the inner angle member by their two leg portions near the ends of said member with the loop portion of each bent outwardly substantially at right angles to the fiange in transverse relation to the longitudinal edge portion of the corresponding fiange on the outer angle member, two substantially horizontal elongated rods each secured by one end portion to the outer side of the last mentioned fiange and eX- tending through said loops respectively to interconnect said angle members detachably on one side of the clamp, two substantially horizontal U-shaped rods secured by their leg portions to the outer side of the other fiange of said outer angle member near the ends thereof with their loop portions projecting from the longitudinal edge portion of said fiange in substantially parallel relationship to said fiange, two substantially horizontal other U-shaped rods of greater length than the last mentioned U-shaped rods and secured by their leg portions to the inner side of the other fiange of the inner angle member With the loop portions thereof projecting from the longitudinal edge of said angle member in substantially parallel relationship to said fiange and in registering relationship to the loop portions of the last mentioned U-shaped rods, and substantially horizontal pull transmitting rods extending outwardly through the last mentioned loops on the inner angle member and having hooks on the outer ends thereof engaged in the last mentioned loops on the outer angle member, said pull transmitting rods having hooks on the inner ends thereof adapted for detachable connection With a pull transmitting chain.

2. A Wire fence clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first mentioned elongated rods are elongated so as to serve as levers, the same being bent outWardly to acute angle relationship to the fiange to which the same are attached, the bend being approximately at the point of engagement with the loops on the corresponding fiange of the inner angle member.

3. A Wire fence clamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pull transmitting rods are elongated so that the inner end portions are adapted to serve as levers, said inner end portions being bent outwardly to acute angle relationship to the other end portions of said rods, the bend being approximately at the point of engagement With the last mentioned loops on the fiange of the inner angle member.

4. A clamp device of the Character described comprising a pair of elongated substantially vertical right-angle section frame members which nest in one another and are adapted to receive and crimp therebetween the material to be clamped for stretching, each of said members having two flanges, means providing elongated substantially horizontal projections in spaced parallel relation on one fiange of the outer one of said members in rigid transverse relationship to the longitudinal edge thereof, means providing substantially horizontal eyes to receive said projectionsdisposed in transverse relationship to said projections on the corresponding fiange of the inner one of said members and in rigid transverse relationship to the longitudinal edge thereof, means providing registering substantially horizontal eyes in spaced substantially parallel relationship to one another on the other fianges of said members, that one of said last named eyes on the outer fiange being relatively short and that one of said last named eyes on the inner fiange being longer, and substantially horizontal pull transmitting rods having hooks on one end engaged in the relatively short eyes on the outer fiange, said rods extending through the longer eyes on the inner fiange and having hooks on the other ends adapted for detachable connection With pull transmitting chains, said rods being elongated so that the ends having detachable connection With the pull transmitting chains are adapted to serve as levers, and these end portions being bent outwardly to acute angle relationship to the other end portions of said rods, the bend being approximately at the point of engagement with the longer eyes on the inner fiange.

5. A clamp device as set forth in claim 4 Wherein the elongated substantially horizontal projections on one fiange of the outer one of Said right angle section frame members are bent outwardly at an acute angle relationship to the fiange, the bend being approximately at the point of engagement of said projections with the first mentioned eyes receiving said projections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 875,185 Kirkwood et al Dec. 31, 1907 1,133,l92 Stevens Mar. 23, 1915 1,223,709 Mattox Apr. 24, 1917 2,732,176 Martin `lan. 24, 1956 

4. A CLAMP DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL RIGHT-ANGLE SECTION FRAME MEMBERS WHICH NEST IN ONE ANOTHER AND ARE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND CRIMP THEREBETWEEN THE MATERIAL TO BE CLAMPED FOR STRETCHING, EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING TWO FLANGES, MEANS PROVIDING ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PROJECTIONS IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION ON ONE FLANGE OF THE OUTER ONE OF SAID MEMBERS IN RIGID TRANSVERSE RELATIONSHIP TO THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE THEREOF, MEANS PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL EYES TO RECEIVE SAID PROJECTIONS DISPOSED IN TRANSVERSE RELATIONSHIP TO SAID PROJECTIONS ON THE CORRESPONDING FLANGE OF THE INNER ONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND IN RIGID TRANSVERSE RELATIONSHIP TO THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE THEREOF, MEANS PROVIDING REGISTERING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL EYES IN SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER ON THE OTHER FLANGES OF SAID MEMBERS, THAT ONE OF SAID LAST NAMED EYES ON THE OUTER FLANGE BEING RELATIVELY SHORT AND THAT ONE OF SAID LAST NAMED EYES ON THE INNER FLANGE BEING LONGER, AND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PULL TRANSMITTING RODS HAVING HOOKS ON ONE END ENGAGED IN THE RELATIVELY SHORT EYES ON THE OUTER FLANGE, SAID RODS EXTENDING THROUGH THE LONGER EYES ON THE INNER FLANGE AND HAVING HOOKS ON THE OTHER ENDS ADAPTED FOR DETACHABLE CONNECTION WITH PULL TRANSMITTING CHAINS, SAID RODS BEING ELONGATED SO THAT THE ENDS HAVING DETACHABLE CONNECTION WITH THE PULL TRANSMITTING CHAINS ARE ADAPTED TO SERVE AS LEVERS, AND THESE END PORTIONS BEING BENT OUTWARDLY TO ACUTE ANGLE RELATIONSHIP TO THE OTHER END PORTIONS OF SAID RODS, THE BEND BEING APPROXIMATELY AT THE POINT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LONGER EYES ON THE INNER FLANGE. 